A California man who referred to himself as a prophet and created his own religious organization will spend the rest of his life in jail after being convicted of sexually assaulting members of his congregation.
A judge condemned Sansue Bee Vang, 58, to 225 years to life in prison. A Butte County jury earlier convicted him of eight charges of child molestation and three counts of rape on four young girls and two women. He is now compelled to register as a sex offender.
Five of the six victims testified in court before Judge Philip Heithecker sentenced them. Women described how sexual assaults had long-term consequences for their mental health and affected their relationships with their families.
According to Butte County District Attorney Mike Ramsey, Vang founded and led a Hmong religious organization called Kev Ntseeg Leej Niam Kee Tiam Vaj Lis Thum, which roughly translates to “Belief in the Mother.” Vang founded the group in Wisconsin, moved to Fresno in 2015, and recruited selected families from other states to Oroville in 2020 to construct a temple at the base of Table Mountain.
Vang wrote the group’s readings and songs, and his fans saw him as their undisputed leader. Every victim was a member of his organization at the time of the assaults.
The investigation was ultimately opened in 2024, when an 11-year-old girl and her mother reported the abuse to the authorities. Their confession prompted other women to come forward. During the seven-day hearing in February, one youngster testified that Vang abused her five times when she was eight to ten years old. She claimed Vang threatened to beat her if she told anyone what he was doing.
Another victim claimed Vang forced her to have sex with him when she was about 19 or 20 years old. She informed the court that Vang threatened her family and the larger Hmong community if she denied him. She claimed that at the time, she sincerely believed in his beliefs. Three more women claimed that when they were between the ages of six and twelve, they were forced to attend rituals where Vang would inappropriately touch them, make comments about their body, and promise to marry them someday.
Vang did not testify during his trial. His defense attorney attempted to persuade the jury of ten men and two women that the victims were lying or were merely misinformed about Vang’s intent.
Jennifer Bennett, the supervising deputy district attorney, pushed back on that stance during her closing statements. She reminded the jury that there was no evidence to suggest the victims had lied. Instead, she claimed that Vang purposefully created his organization to give him influence, which he then used to exploit his followers and keep the women silent for years.
While Vang received the maximum term authorized by law, DA Ramsey emphasized that under California’s “elder parole” laws, the 58-year-old will be eligible for a parole hearing in 20 years.
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